Barley Friska

Barley Friska (a Brutal Wake-Up Call for Blue Moon People)

If you’re a Blue Moon or witbier fan, buckle up because this is where your palate finds out it’s been living a lie. You know how the first time you try Allagash White you realize Blue Moon is basically training wheels? The jump from Friska to Allagash White is even more devastatingly drastic. This isn’t a step up, it’s an elevator straight through the roof. Clean, bright, elegant, with that perfect wheat-beer balance that somehow manages to be refreshing and sophisticated without trying too hard.

I first encountered this beer as a quiet flex on the menu at Spiaggia, where it immediately made every other witbier in the room feel underdressed. It’s the kind of beer that doesn’t shout, it just calmly proves it’s better and lets you sit with that realization.

🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕

9 out of 10 fucks given, and the missing fuck is purely logistical pain. This stuff is annoyingly hard to find, which makes every sip feel both special and mildly tragic. If you love witbiers and think you’ve “had the good ones,” Friska exists solely to humble you.